Study provides some ugly truths about lipstick

Updated 11:18 pm, Friday, May 3, 2013

Lipstick is a major part of Marianne Horvath's life. The Fairfield resident has been a makeup artist for 25 years, with clients that include television personalities from broadcast and cable networks. Not shockingly, lip products are an important piece of her repertoire -- not just when making up faces for a living, but when creating her own look as well.

"I definitely use it on myself," Horvath said. "I'd rather use lipstick than mascara."

Given her relationship with the products, Horvath keeps an eye on the latest research and revelations about makeup. That includes a recent study out of the University of California- Berkeley School of Public Health showing lipsticks and lip glosses can contain lead, cadmium, aluminum and other metals -- sometimes at a level that can raise health concerns. For the study, published Thursday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers tested 32 lip products commonly found in drugstores and department stores. Of the tested products, eight were lipsticks and 24 were lip glosses.

Lead was found in 24 of the samples, but at a level that was lower than the acceptable daily intake level for the metal. However, the study showed, high use of some of the lip products could result in potential overexposure to the elements chromium, aluminum, cadmium and manganese. Some of these chemicals are linked to negative health effects. For instance, exposure to high concentrations of manganese over time has been linked to toxicity in the nervous system.

Researchers don't advocate tossing the gloss just yet, but did recommend further studies and suggested that the presence of potentially toxic metals in cosmetics should be regulated.

Locally, experts also advised caution, but not overreaction, when it comes to lip wear. The Berkeley study isn't the first one to show there are some ugly things lurking in these products, said Dr. Peter McAllister, medical director of clinical research at Associated Neurologists of Southern Connecticut. McAllister, whose office is in Fairfield, said lipsticks aren't even the only culprits. He said many other cosmetics, and as well as other products we use on regular basis, have some levels of potentially harmful elements.

"We're exposed to minerals and metals in low doses all the time," McAllister said.

The thing the some people might find worrisome about chemicals in lipstick is that, because it's worn on the mouth, those who wear it regularly swallow some of it. The Berkeley study estimated that those who wear it ingest at least 24 milligrams of lip makeup per day. Those who really pile on the paint and reapply throughout the day can swallow as much as 87 milligrams a day.

McAllister said while people shouldn't be too troubled by their lipstick, there's a possibility that wearing day after day, year after year, can carry some health risks.

"I don't think we need to panic," he said. "Probably the safest bet is to wear natural, organic products, or to research products to see what's in them."

Meanwhile, Horvath said, while the findings are worth paying attention to, it's nearly impossible to avoid products that might contain something that could be worrisome at certain levels. Even organic products aren't an answer for everyone, she said. "Some people are sensitive to the natural stuff, too," Horvath said.

She said she always applies lip balm under lipsticks, with the idea of creating a barrier between the lips and the lipstick that prevents too much absorption.

"I hope that helps," Horvath said. For herself, she said, she always goes without makeup on the days she isn't working. "I like to give my face a break," she said.